Objective To identify determinants of limitations in unpaid work (household work, shopping, caring for children and odd jobs around the house) in patients who had suffered major trauma (ISS ≥ 16) and who were in full-time employment (≥80%) at the time of injury. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting University Medical Centre Utrecht, a level 1 trauma centre in the Netherlands. Method All severely injured (ISS ≥ 16) adult (age ≥ 16) trauma survivors admitted from January 1999 to December 2000 who were full-time employed at time of the injury were invited for follow-up (n = 214). Outcome was assessed with the 'Health and Labour Questionnaire' (HLQ) at a mean of 15 months (SD = 1.5) after injury. The HLQ was completed by 211 patients. Results Response rate was 93%. Logistic regression analyses identified the percentage of permanent impairment (% PI), level of participation (RtW), co-morbidity, lower extremity injury (LEI) and female gender as determinants of limitations in unpaid work. Patients with a post-injury status of part-time or no return to work experienced more limitations in unpaid work than those who returned to full-time employment. Conclusions Resuming paid work after major trauma is not associated with reductions in unpaid activities. To assess the long-term outcome of rehabilitation programmes, we recommend a measure that combines patient's satisfaction in their post-injury jobs with a satisfactory level of activities in their private lives.

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doi.org/10.1016/j.injury.2013.10.019, hdl.handle.net/1765/71095
Injury: International Journal of the Care of the Injured
Erasmus MC: University Medical Center Rotterdam

van Erp, S., Holtslag, H., & van Beeck, E. (2014). Determinants of limitations in unpaid work after major trauma: A prospective cohort study with 15 months follow-up. Injury: International Journal of the Care of the Injured, 45(3), 629–634. doi:10.1016/j.injury.2013.10.019